Menstrual Hygiene Management
TOOLKIT
May 2015
About SPLASH:
SPLASH (Schools Promoting Learning Achievement through Sanitation and Hygiene) is a comprehensive school-based water supply,
sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) project funded by USAID/Zambia through field support. SPLASH is implemented through the
WASHplus project, which supports healthy households and communities by creating and delivering interventions that lead to
improvements in WASH and household air pollution (HAP). This five-year project (2010-2015), funded through USAID’s Bureau for
Global Health (AID-OAA-A-10-00040) and led by FHI 360 in partnership with CARE and Winrock International, uses at-scale
programming approaches to reduce diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections, the two top killers of children under age 5
globally.
Recommended Citation:
SPLASH, 2015. Menstrual Hygiene Management Toolkit. Washington D.C., USA. USAID/WASHplus Project.
Contact Information:
Justin Lupele
SPLASH Chief of Party
Plot 2473 Farmers’ Village, ZNFU Complex
Tiyende Pamodzi Rd, Off Nangwenya Rd
Showgrounds Areas
P.O. Box 51439 Ridgeway
Lusaka, Zambia
Cell: 0971252490
jlupele@fhi360.org
Sandra Callier
WASHplus Project Director
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009-5721
Office tel.: 202-884-8960
scallier@fhi360.org
This toolkit is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) Bureau for Global Health under terms of Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-A-10-00040. The contents are
the responsibility of FHI 360, and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
May 2015
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
WASHplus/SPLASH is indebted to USAID/Zambia for its financial and technical support to the SPLASH project and the Ministry of
Education Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (MESVTEE), Eastern Province for supporting the development of this
publication. This toolkit was originally developed during a series of workshops and consultative meetings involving MESVTEE staff in
the Eastern Province of Zambia and stakeholders in the WASH sector. Special tribute goes to Sarah Fry, SPLASH Activity Manager under
the WASHplus project, for her tireless efforts to finalize this toolkit; Margaret Mapata, District Resource Center Coordinator (Chipata),
for her innovative games and learner-centered activities; and Kylie Saunders, an intern from Emory University who worked closely with
Ms. Mapata on a menstrual hygiene management exhibition and activities.
Special thanks to the following people for their valuable efforts in developing this toolkit:
Bridget Kakuwa Kasongamulilo
SPLASH Knowledge Management, Documentation, and Communication Advisor
Levyson Banda
SPLASH Deputy Provincial Coordinator
Romakala Banda
SPLASH Hygiene Behavior Change Technician, Mambwe
Mayombo Mandevu Mwanza
SPLASH Hygiene Behavior Change Technician, Lundazi
Boyd Hakubeja
SPLASH Hygiene Behavior Change Technician, Chadiza
James Nyirenda
SPLASH Hygiene Behavior Change Technician, Chipata
Febby Busiku
SPLASH Provincial Coordinator (former)
Davidson Phiri
District Resource Center Coordinator, Mambwe
Bernard Kakumbi
Provincial Standards Education Standards Officer Natural Sciences
Doris Kanyerere
SPLASH Provincial Finance Officer/ Project Manager
Venus C. Thole
Principal Education Officer Teacher Education, Chipata (retired)
May 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... ii
WHAT IS PUBERTY? ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
WHEN DOES PUBERTY OCCUR? ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
WHAT IS MENSTRUATION? ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
MHM SCHOOL CHECKLIST ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
ACTIVITIES, GAMES, AND FUN ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.
ROLE-PLAY: A Menstrual Hygiene Management Drama................................................................................................................................ 9
2.
PATTERNS FOR MENSTRUAL PADS .............................................................................................................................................................. 17
3.
ALL-IN-ONE “PANTYPOCKET” ....................................................................................................................................................................... 24
4.
THE GAME OF LIFE ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
5.
WORD SEARCH PUZZLE ................................................................................................................................................................................ 35
6.
MATCHING GAME ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 38
7.
SNAKES & LADDERS...................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
MHM Toolkit i
ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT
Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is an important component of a “WASH-Friendly School.” As a new concept in
schools, the USAID-funded Schools Promoting Learning Achievement through Sanitation and Hygiene (SPLASH) project
and Zambia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (MESVTEE) are offering various kinds
of support to teachers to establish MHM programs and facilities to keep girls and female teachers in school.
This toolkit was designed to help teachers, school health and nutrition (SHN) coordinators, and other school personnel in
Zambian primary schools to carry out MHM programs or activities in their school. It is organized into three sections:
 basic information about puberty, menstruation, and MHM
 a checklist for schools to use to ensure that they have all the elements needed for a good MHM program
 interactive games and activities that will engage students to learn about MHM including an activity that shows
students how they can make their own pads or sanitary towels
As MHM becomes more established in schools, better tools can be developed and integrated into this toolkit.
MHM Toolkit ii
WHAT IS PUBERTY?
Puberty is the process that boys or girls undergo to become adults and sexually mature; in essence, the period from
childhood to adulthood. Puberty involves a series of physical changes in both boys and girls that lead to the development
of secondary sex characteristics, the physical features associated with adult males and females (such as the growth of
pubic hair). While puberty involves a series of biological or physical transformations, the process can also have an effect on
the psychosocial and emotional development of adolescents.
Adolescents also increase their intellectual capacities and experience moral development during puberty. Social identity is
supplemented by the search for a psychological identity. An important dimension of puberty is that young adolescents are
able to integrate bodily changes into their self-identity, and to incorporate others’ responses to these changes into that
self-identity. During the early stages of puberty friendships between same-sex peers become more important due to the
shared social, physiological changes including a possible detached relationship with parents. The physical growth
experienced during puberty is accompanied by new and complex emotions including sexual desire and gender identity.
These changes, combined with peer pressure, may cause adolescents to behave in a certain way.
These changes may effect learning both positively and negatively. Positive changes include the ability to reason and
understand complex processes and concepts. On the other hand, the negative effects associated with peer pressure,
bullying and arrogance can be experienced by some boys and girls. Adolescents react differently to puberty education.
Sometimes boys’ behavior enables them to assert their stereotypical masculinity and therefore their power and supposed
superiority. In some cultures in Zambia, girls who reach puberty are tutored to present themselves in public—as women or
young ladies. There are stereotypes of what behaviors are acceptable for young men and women.
MHM Toolkit 1
WHEN DOES PUBERTY OCCUR?
Puberty begins when extra amounts of chemicals called “hormones” are produced and lead to physical, emotional, and
cognitive changes in the body. A growing adolescent may feel happy one moment, or sad, or confused the next moment.
The onset of puberty varies among individuals. Puberty usually occurs in girls between the ages of 8 and 16, while in boys
it generally occurs later, between the ages of 12 and 16. Most girls and boys begin to notice changes in their bodies
between the ages of 10 and 14 which take place over a number of years. See Table 1 below:
Table 1: What are the changes that take place in girls and boys at puberty?








Changes in Boys
Breasts look like they're developing a bit
Chest broadens
Penis and testicles start to grow
Ejaculations begin—boys start to experience “wet
dreams” while sleeping
Voice “breaks” and deepens
Boys gain weight and grow taller
Body and facial hair appears (armpits, pubic area,
moustache, beard, or sideburns)
Shoulders get wider, muscles start to get bigger
and stronger






Changes in Girls
Breasts start to develop
Girls gain weight, particularly on the hips
Menstruation starts
Bodies become curvier and hip bones widen
Hair grows in pubic area and armpits
Muscles get bigger and stronger, but they do
not show up as much as boys’ muscles
MHM Toolkit 2
WHAT IS MENSTRUATION?
Menstruation is the monthly flow of blood from the uterus through the vagina in girls and women from puberty to
menopause.1. It is a normal process for women and girls, and it starts at puberty or adolescence. Girls tend to start their
menstrual periods between the ages of 10 and 14, and this continues until they reach menopause usually between their
late forties to mid-fifties. Menstruation is also sometimes known as menses or a menstrual period. During adolescence, a
girl’s body starts to change. Along with physical changes (such as growing breasts, wider hips, and body hair) the girl will
also experience emotional changes due to hormones.
The cycle for menses is usually around 28 days but can vary from 21 to 35 days. Each cycle involves the release of an egg
(ovulation), which moves into the uterus through the fallopian tubes. The body’s tissues and blood start to line the walls of
the girl’s uterus for fertilization. If the egg is not fertilized, the lining of a girl’s or woman’s uterus is shed through the
vagina along with blood. The bleeding usually lasts between two to seven days each month, with some lighter flow and
some heavier flow days. The menstrual cycle for girls during their first year or two is often irregular.2
1
Ministry of Health, Zambia Reproductive Health Glossary, 2013 page 2
2
House, Cavill, and Mahon. 2012. Menstrual Hygiene Matters. UK: WaterAid.
MHM Toolkit 3
Source: Kanyemba A. 2011. Growing Up at School, a Guide to Menstrual
Management for School Girls. Zimbabwe: Water Research Commission, South
Africa.
MHM Toolkit 4
MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT
Menstruation has critical implications for girl’s educational outcomes. Menstrual hygiene materials must be made
available; linkages to health services must be formed; and safe latrines with water and soap, adequate sanitation and
disposal mechanisms must be provided. These objectives benefit all members of the school community, including
learners and staff. Furthermore, failure to meet them puts girls at risk of not having a high-quality educational
experience.
MHM in school includes the facilities, products, education, training, and support necessary for girls to manage their
menstrual periods away from home. MHM is gaining recognition globally as a critical human rights and development
problem, one that influences poverty levels and even a country’s GDP. Around the world, stigmas and taboos have
defined how menstruation is viewed and experienced. Now, a movement is growing, bringing the topic into the open
and addressing menstruation as a normal part of being female.
Let’s take a closer look:
Menstruation is:
What is menstruation?




A natural biological function of all females worldwide
A natural process where the female body sheds the lining of the uterus every month if a
fertilized egg does not plant itself there and grow into a baby
When the lining of the uterus, rich in blood and other matter ready to nourish a baby, flows
out through the vagina every 28 days if conception has not occurred
Sometimes painful because the uterus cramps up to shed the lining
Menstruation is NOT:



An illness or a curse
Shameful
A reason to keep girls and women from school, household activities, or work
MHM Toolkit 5
MHM in school is a program that provides:
What is MHM in school?









Why is MHM important?



Proper girl-friendly facilities: separate toilets for boys and girls
Washrooms for girls with water and soap available
Access to sanitary pads or towels, or other products for discretely absorbing the menstrual
flow
Means for disposal of used menstrual absorption products
Training in MHM for teachers, especially SHN coordinators and guidance staff
Education about menstruation for girls and boys, Parents’ and Teachers’ Associations
(PTAs), and other parent/community structures
Booklets and other support materials for pupils and teachers
WASH Clubs with MHM activities
Lack of MHM is a big reason why girls stay home from school. They can lose up to five days
per month, then they lose track of their school work and eventually drop out.
Having access to MHM increases a girl’s confidence, sense of value, and self-worth.
MHM is a main strategy for keeping girls in school and increasing the numbers of educated
girls and women in our country
An educated woman contributes significantly to her family’s health and to the development
of her country
Menstruating girls frequently experience:
What are the challenges
that girls face managing
menstruation at school?







Fear of standing up to answer questions, in the classroom, in case they have stained their
skirt
Bullying and teasing from boys
Shame and fear of people finding out that they are “on their menses”
Lack of accurate information and fear about what is happening to them
Health problems related to inability to change their pads regularly i.e. urinary tract
infection, vaginal candida, etc.
Taboos on what they can and cannot do, where they can and cannot be, during their
menses
Lack of support and understanding from the adults in their lives: families, and teachers
MHM Toolkit 6
While waiting for permanent structures or programs, a school can:
What are small doable
actions for MHM?







Engage local stakeholders (local counselors, traditional leaders, civic leaders) in a discussion
forum on MHM issues
Create girl-friendly corners or clubs
Create sanitary pads out of local materials
Come up with appropriate and sustainable ways to support MHM in schools
Carry out awareness education for parents and the community at large
Create linkages with service providers for support (health practitioners, local business
leaders)
Engage local radio stations to broadcast appealing MHM messages
MHM SCHOOL CHECKLIST
A good MHM in-school program should have the following elements. Check to see if your
school has:
MHM Program Elements
 Yes
 No
Notes/Plan and Date to
Turn No to Yes!
Informational program for school, PTA, and
community
MHM-themed community events (theater, radio)
Washrooms for girls
MHM Toolkit 7
Water and soap in girls’ washrooms
Disposal place for used pads
Emergency pads in a place where girls know to find
them
Comfort kits (bag with pads, panties, soap, booklet on
puberty)
A local pad production program
Guidance teacher or counselor designated for MHM
School Health Nutrition (SHN) coordinator trained in
MHM
MHM training for all teachers
WASH Club with MHM activities
Talks on MHM from local nurses or environmental
health technicians
Approved medications for menstrual pain with
guidance or SHN teacher
Mentoring by older girls for younger girls
Booklets on puberty for boys and girls
Guidance materials for teachers
Visual aids on menstruation and puberty
Inclusion of menstruation and puberty in classroom
subject teaching
School funds raised and set aside for MHM support
(for example, pad purchase)
MHM Toolkit 8
Income-generating activities related to MHM (local
pad production)
Add your own ideas!
ACTIVITIES, GAMES, AND FUN
1. ROLE-PLAY
(Suggested Time: 50–60 minutes not including preparation time)
Session
Objectives
1. Describe the basic bodily function of menstruation
2. Through a role-play and discussion, list challenges girls face in managing their monthly menses (periods) in
school
3. Identify small doable actions to address these challenges
Preparations/Materials
Needed

Volunteer actors (7)

Chitenge cloth
MHM Toolkit 9
PLEASE NOTE: ADVANCE PREPARATION REQUIRED. This session involves a role-play/drama on a sensitive topic.
The script follows the training session guide. The play requires three males and two females to play the role of
pupils, plus one additional participant (male or female) to play the role of teacher. The actors must be comfortable
role-playing on the topic of menstruation. They should receive the script in advance and be asked to rehearse at
least once as a group in preparation.
TRAINER’S NOTE: This topic might be quite difficult, even embarrassing, to discuss. For this reason, we provide
detailed notes to help. We encourage you to prepare and be confident. In the end, participants most often react very
well and express relief and gratitude to have the opportunity to address a topic that is rarely talked about but that
people understand is very important.
Introduction and Overview to MHM (5 min)
Say:
This training session covers an important hygiene practice that is often overlooked, menstrual hygiene
management—what females must and can do to manage their monthly periods in a safe, private , and
healthy manner. This topic can make boys and girls, men, and women uncomfortable to talk about in
the beginning, because it is a topic we don’t often discuss in public.
Between the ages of 10 and 14 most girls and boys begin to notice changes in the ir bodies and in their
emotions. These physical and emotional changes take place over a number of years. It is a no rmal
growing up process and it is all part of becoming ready for adulthood.
Changes take place at different ages for different children. Girls start to develop the body of a woman,
and that includes beginning to have a monthly menstrual period. Monthly bleeding is perfectly normal,
not something to be scared of. It lasts four to seven days, and usually happens every month.
MHM Toolkit 10
Even though it’s normal, menstruation can present real challenges to girls in school.
Let’s watch a play that will highlight some of these challenges that girls face around managing
menstruation in school.
MHM Toolkit 11
A MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT DRAMA (25 min)
A Role-Play in Three Acts
Characters
School Girl 1………………………………..……… add names
School Girl 2…………………………………..….
School Girl 3……..……………………..…………
School Girl 4 (absent) ……………………………no actor required
School Girl 5 (absent) ……………………………no actor required
Teacher …………………….………………………..
School Boy 1...........................................
School Boy 2.............................................
Setting Up
With the desks and chairs of the training room, set up a simulated classroom and put the rest of the chairs around the
classroom scene so the participants can be spectators. Scene 2 is in the school yard so make sure you can play both the
classroom scene and the school yard scene without moving too much furniture around.
Scene 1: A Grade 7 Classroom
Teacher calls pupils to class. Girl 3 has a stain on the back of her skirt.
Teacher calls roll of all girls and boys. Two girls 4 and 5 are absent. She notices.
Teacher is giving a lesson. She is explaining something and asks a question.
MHM Toolkit 12
Boys 1 and 2 raise their hands quickly and want to be recognized.
Teacher:
“Not always the same boys! Let’s hear from some girls. Stand up, Girl 3, and tell us what you know!”
Girl 3 stands up and the boys see the stain on her skirt and start mocking and teasing her.
Girl 3 is completely embarrassed and ashamed. She closes her books, sits down, and refuses to participate anymore.
Teacher understands what happened and calls a break. Teacher helps Girl 3 to leave last and hands her a chitenge
wrapper or large shawl to wear.
Scene 2: Girls in the School Yard
Girl 1 and 2 are waiting for Girl 3 to come out of the classroom.
The girls talk about the embarrassing moment Girl 3 just faced. Then they each share their own experience. Examples:
Girl 1:
“During my last menses, I had such pain I couldn’t come to school, so I stayed home for 2 days.”
Girl 2:
“I hate the toilet facilities here. There is no privacy. How am I supposed to clean up and change my pad? It
stinks in there, and those boys tried to follow me and laughed and mocked me.”
The girls talk about their absent classmates. One girl passed by the house of an absent one in the morning and tells what
her problem was: She had cramps, she wouldn’t walk to school for fear of soaking her pad that is made from strips of old
chitenge cloth.
MHM Toolkit 13
One girl said she heard an awful story of a pupil in their village who got her menses for the first time and used the same
pad for 7 days and came to school. She got an infection that destroyed her reproductive system.
Girl 3:
“Today was the last straw. I am leaving now to go home. I can’t go back in that classroom.”
Girl 3 leaves to go home. The girls go back in the classroom.
Scene 3: Back in the Classroom
Teacher decides to talk to the boys and girls about what happened to Girl 3 before recess.
Teacher:
“This girl had her menses (monthly period), do you know what that is? We learned about this in Growth and
Development.
Boys, how do you think Girl 3 felt about the teasing and about her skirt stain?
Do you think it was her fault?
Is she alone? No, every single girl experiences menstruation and it is completely normal.”
The boys respond by saying that they feel bad about their behavior now that they understand.
The girls also say things about how they viewed the earlier embarrassing episode, and tell why the other girls are absent
today.
The girls complain to the teacher about the school’s poor facilities and lack of support and information.
MHM Toolkit 14
Teacher:
“We clearly have a big problem. I know it’s hard to talk about this with your families. Let’s talk to the head
teacher and see if we can come up with a plan.”
END OF ROLE-PLAY
MHM Toolkit 15
After the Role-Play … Decide what MHM Actions Are Doable and Feasible (20–30
min)
Ask/Discuss: What just happened?
What problems/challenges/issues did you notice related to menstrual hygiene management?
What makes it hard for a girl or female teacher to privately manage menstruation?
TRAINER’S NOTE: Make sure to touch upon problems related to the following topics:
Ask:

Sanitation facilities

Products

Rules or school policy

Ignorance

Shaming and bullying
Do you think this is an issue in our school?
What are some actions—especially small doable actions—schools and/or parents can carry out to
improve the situation? Refer to the list of topics and make sure problems related to each one are
addressed through a small doable action.
Write:
Suggestions on the flipchart.
Note:
This is not a detailed planning exercise.
Ask:
Are there any questions before we wrap up?
Wrap up session.
Say:
Thanks for being willing to dive into this important aspect of hygiene, and thanks to the actors! Let’s
use what we decided to make a plan for our school.
MHM Toolkit 16
2. PATTERNS FOR MENSTRUAL PADS
Making Your Own Cloth Pads—How to Lay Out the Patterns
How you lay out your pattern pieces depends on how much fabric you have and the shape and size of
your pattern.
A core or oblong pad shape will be easy to lay out, and
doesn't waste much fabric at all. You can cut the core
pieces with a square edge, but I find rounding them
makes a neater and less pokey finish.
A contoured wingless pad can be “top and tailed”
to use up a little less fabric. The top part of the
image shows the top & tailed ones, the bottom
shows how they would be if laid out all the right
way up. It doesn't save much, but every bit helps.
You can see from this wingless example and the winged example below how much more fabric winged
pads take up. You might be able to get 8 wingless pads out of the same piece of fabric you could get
only 6 winged pads from.
MHM Toolkit 17
Standard winged pads should fit together
well (left). Patterns with a flared end will
generally slot well into each other if you
have to put some pieces upside down to
make them fit (right).
Pocket pads need 2 back sections, which are each wider than half a pad
but they can be laid out efficiently, too.
How much fabric you will need will depend on how many pads you want to make from it, and also the
pattern you are using. You can work that out by measuring the width and length of your patterns, and
estimating how many you'll be able to cut out from your fabric. Always allow extra for shrinkage and
the fact you'll probably los e some to fraying in the wash. I t's really frustrating if you can't get a pad in
MHM Toolkit 18
because your fabric is *just* that little bit too small for what you need.
Fabrics & Styles
Suggested Fabrics
100% cotton fabrics, e.g., old towels, sheets, pajamas, t-shirts, cotton flannel, or hemp, anything you feel is comfortable,
soft, and gentle next to your skin.
Styles
a) Wrap & insert
c) All-in-one
b) Wrap & winged insert
d) Envelope
MHM Toolkit 19
e) Wrap & insert
f) Padded pants
g) G-style
MHM Toolkit 20
Medium Wrap
1. Trace this pattern and place the printed sides of the fabric facing each other.
2. Cut around leaving seam allowance (outside dots). Actual size if overstitching edges.
3. Overlock around edge or sew around
edge leaving one end open (inside
dots open at one end); trim and turn
inside out.
MHM Toolkit 21
Sew up open end
2.
Add poppers or snaps to wings
3.
Finally, hand sew either:

a pocket at either end

or attach some rick-rack bands or tape at either end
Inner Pattern: Medium Liner
1. Check the length/width of the pad you just made, as it will be fitting in the pocket
2. Cut fabric to actual size if overlocking (cut round the black line), if not overlocking, add outside seam allowance
when cutting (i.e., cut round the red line)
3. Pin to fabric
4. Add four to six layers for light flow, more for medium–to-heavy flow
MHM Toolkit 22
5. Trim, turn inside out, fold in seam, and sew end. For liners with wings use wrap pattern without poppers or snaps.
Or, for an all-in-one towel sew several liners, according to your flow, between the two layers of the wrap, or on the
outside.
MHM Toolkit 23
3. ALL-IN-ONE “PANTYPOCKET”
Easy Pattern for Panty with Sanitary Pad/Towel Holder
Use the ribbons to tie the front to the back.
POCKET PAD HOLDER
FRONT
BACK
Goes in here
SANITARY PAD
MHM Toolkit 24
3. JEOPARDY GAME
Topics




covered:
Puberty
Menstruation
Menstrual hygiene management
Hygiene
Timing

of activity:
30 minutes
Materials

needed:
Poster board with pencil OR chalkboard with chalk
Directions:
1. Depending on size of class, split pupils into teams of about 5-8 pupils.
2. Next, determine how long you would like the game to last. Depending on your time constraints, you can choose to
have more or fewer categories. Each category has 4 questions under it, so the game takes about 10 minutes per
category.
3. The objective of the game is for a team to earn the most points. A team can earn points by answering one of the
questions correctly. Each question has a designated point worth assigned to it. The harder the question, the more
points it’s worth. For example, under category #1, the 400-point question would be a harder question than the 100point question.
MHM Toolkit 25
4. Each team takes turns choosing a category and the number of points they would like to earn. The leader will then
look at the corresponding question and ask the team to answer. The team will have 1 minute to discuss as a group
and decide on its answer. If the guess is correct, then that team is awarded the points. The leader can then write
these points on the chalkboard or can record points on a piece of paper. If the answer is wrong, another team has
the chance to try to win those points. The second team will be asked to answer the question, after the leader tells
the first team that it was wrong.
5. After a team picks a category and a point worth, those points are gone for the rest of the game. So if using a
chalkboard, the leader can then cross these points out, or erase them. If using a poster board, the leader can cross
off the points with a pencil or something that is erasable (so that the poster game board can be used again in the
future).
6. After one team has gone, it is now the next team’s turn. And the same process repeats itself.
7. The game ends when all of the questions have been answered. The winning team is the one with the most points!
Additional Notes:


Encourage the teams to come up with a group name to promote team building, fun, and creativity!
After each question, make sure to clarify the answer to make sure that the pupils understand what the question was
asking and what the answer is. If time permits, you can also give a brief discussion or explanation regarding the
subject matter of the question, after it is answered.
Example of game board
Category #1
100
Category #2
100
Category #3
100
Category #4
100
200
200
200
200
300
300
300
300
400
400
400
400
MHM Toolkit 26
Example Questions. Feel free to come up with your own questions as well, depending on what you are specifically trying to
teach your pupils.
QUESTIONS and ANSWERS:
Category #1: When I grow up (puberty)
100 points 
200 points 
300 points 
400 points 
Q: What is the age range at which puberty typically occurs?
A: The age range of 8 to 16 years.
Q: Name 2 things that happen to both girls and boys during puberty.
A: Changes that happen to both boys and girls: Get taller. Skin gets oilier and is more prone to acne.
Grow hair under armpits and around pubic area. Hormones start developing. Start to develop body
odor (see Table 1 of Puberty section).
Q: Name 3 changes that happen to girls when going through puberty and 3 changes that happen to
boys when going through puberty.
A: Physical changes to boys: voice changes, Adam’s apple, testes drop, grow hair under armpits, on
chest, and in pubic area, skin gets oilier. Physical changes to girls: Breasts get larger, hair appears
under armpits and in pubic area, hips get wider, skin gets oilier, start menstruating (for more answers
see Table 1).
Q: What gland initiates the start of puberty in both boys and girls?
A: Pituitary gland
Category #2: Let’s talk about sex (sexual health)
100 points 
200 points 
300 points 
Q: Name 3 sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
A: Chlamydia, Syphilis, Herpes, HIV, Hepatitis, HPV, Gonorrhea
Q: Name 2 ways to prevent getting sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
A: Abstinence, barrier methods, condoms, both partners get tested and then remain mutually
exclusive to each other
Q: How do you prevent an unwanted pregnancy?
MHM Toolkit 27
400 points 
A: Condoms, other birth control methods (contraceptives pills or injectables, etc.)
Q: What is the only 100% effective way to prevent pregnancy?
A: To remain abstinent (no sexual relations). No contraceptive is 100% effective, not even a condom.
Category #3: Reproductive health
100 points 
200 points 
300 points 
400 points 
Q: True or False. Once a female reaches puberty, she will have her period for the rest of her life.
A: False. A female’s period stops temporarily when she is pregnant and then stops permanently once
she has gone through menopause.
Q: What is it called when blood flows to the penis and it becomes enlarged and hard?
A: An erection.
Q: What is menstruation and how often does it occur?
A: When the lining of the uterus is shed once each month and causes bleeding from the vagina. It
occurs on average once every 28 days, but can vary.
Q: True or False. If a girl's egg is mature but she has not yet had her first menstrual period, she is still
able to become pregnant if she has sexual relations.
A: True.
Category #4: Keep it clean (hygiene)
100 points 
200 points 
300 points 
400 points 
Q: What does MHM stand for?
A: Menstrual hygiene management
Q: True or False. It is important to wash yourself daily in order to avoid body odors and getting
infections.
A: True.
Q: How often should menstrual pads be changed?
A: Pads should be changed at least 2 times a day, if not more.
Q: Name 2 places where you can safely and hygienically dispose of pads?
A: Pads should be thrown away in disposal bins, pit latrines, or should be incinerated.
MHM Toolkit 28
4. THE GAME OF LIFE
 Topics

covered:
The different stages of life and puberty
 Timing

of activity:
20 minutes
 Materials





needed:
Poster board or cardboard (something to act as the game board)
Paper (for the game cards)
Marker or pen
Game pieces (can use any small object)—one for each player
Pair of dice or other means for counting spaces for turns
 Directions:
1. The objective of the game is to earn the most “Life” points by the end of the game. Take turns throwing dice to see
how many spaces to move. Depending on what spot you land on, draw a card to determine what life moment you
have just encountered.
2. When starting the game, choose to either start off with school or start off working. Remember that the object of
the game is to get the most “Life” points possible so starting with school will give you more opportunities to earn
them.
MHM Toolkit 29
3. Picking a LOSE ONE TURN card. These are events that you may experience in your life that have a negative impact
on your life. When you land on one of these spaces, take 1 “Life” point away from your total score.
4. Picking a LIFE card. These are events that you may experience that are part of everyday life. Add 1 “Life” point to
your total score when you land on one of these spots.
5. Stop signs. When a player reaches this point, they must stop. These stops indicate major life events in an
adolescent’s life.
 Additional




Notes:
When making the game board, try and have about 30 spots, 20 of which are for LIFE cards and 10 of which are for
LOSE ONE TURN cards.
When making the game cards, you want to make as many as possible so that the pupils can play for a longer
period of time before having to repeat the cards. Some examples are listed below, but get creative and add
different life events that happen alongside puberty. In addition to the puberty-related events, you can also add fun
and silly events, like finding 50 Kwacha on the floor! Add pictures and drawings to the cards to make it more fun.
Also, make sure to indicate on the cards whether or not they are LIFE cards or LOSE ONE TURN cards. When playing
the game, the cards will be turned over so that the pupils cannot see them, so it’s important to indicate which card
is which.
The point of this game is to provide a fun way to introduce the different life changes that pupils will be going
through during puberty. So try and make the game as fun as possible, while also being educationally informative!
MHM Toolkit 30
Example of LIFE game board.
LIFE Cards
LOSE ONE TURN Cards
Start growing hair under your Have unprotected sex and get
armpits.
pregnant.
LOSE ONE TURN
MHM Toolkit 31
Get your period for the first
time.
Have unprotected sex and get
Syphilis.
Your voice changes in sound.
LOSE ONE TURN
Experiment with drugs.
Pass your grade with all A’s!
Way to go genius!
LOSE ONE TURN
Skip school for three days.
LOSE ONE TURN
MHM Toolkit 32
Go on your first date with a
boy/girl that you really like!
Don’t shower or bathe
yourself for 1 week.
LOSE ONE TURN
Have your first kiss with a
boy/girl that you really like!
Vandalize the school.
LOSE ONE TURN
Start growing pubic hair.
Bully a peer for having a
blood stain on her skirt.
LOSE ONE TURN
MHM Toolkit 33
Learn how to make a reusable
pad and teach others how to
make them as well.
Steal sugar from home.
LOSE ONE TURN
Join a WASH Club at school
and help to incorporate
menstrual hygiene
management into school.
Cheat on your boyfriend or
girlfriend.
LOSE ONE TURN
Because of puberty
hormones, your skin gets
oilier, so you get more acne
on your face and back.
Cheat on a test at school.
LOSE ONE TURN
MHM Toolkit 34
5. WORD SEARCH PUZZLE
 Topics covered:

Menstrual hygiene management
 Timing of Activity:


5 minutes for word search puzzle
10 minutes for discussion
 Materials needed:

Printed word search puzzle (preferably 1 puzzle per pupil)
 Directions:

Print out the word search puzzles and have the pupils look for the words in the word box. Words can be found
going up and down, and left to right.
 Additional Notes:

Use the word search puzzles as a tool to start talking about the various words included. Go word by word and have
the pupils discuss what each one of the words means to them and how to incorporate healthy WASH and MHM
behaviors into the school setting.
MHM Toolkit 35
1: Word search puzzle
D
H
Q
T
P
A
D
W
W
M
E
N
S
T
R
U
A
L
E
A
B
O
Y
S
T
S
D
N
L
S
A
F
E
X
H
A
T
T
T
P
R
L
Z
G
Y
S
H
Y
G
I
E
N
E
B
E
Y
S
C
H
O
O
L
U
Word Box:
Menstrual
Healthy
School
WASH
Soap
Hygiene
Boys
Men
Safe
Pad
MHM Toolkit 36
2: Word search puzzle answer key
D
H
Q
T
P
A
D
W
W
M
E
N
S
T
R
U
A
L
E
A
B
O
Y
S
T
S
D
N
L
S
A
F
E
X
H
A
T
T
T
P
R
L
Z
G
Y
S
H
Y
G
I
E
N
E
B
E
Y
S
C
H
O
O
L
U
MHM Toolkit 37
6. MATCHING GAME
 Topics covered:

Puberty, menstruation
 Time of activity:


10 minutes for game
20 minute discussion
 Materials needed:



Paper
Pen or pencil
Matching cards (ideally you can have 1 set of the matching cards for each small group of 4 or 5 pupils)
 Directions:
1. Print out cards, or write them on paper, and then cut them into individual pieces. Make sure to shuffle all of them
so that none of the pairs are close to each other. Then give the group of pupils the cards and allow them time to
match up the correct question and answer pairs.
2. After the pupils have made all of their matches, then go through each question to reveal the correct answer. Make
sure to explain any questions that are confusing for any of the pupils or questions that they got wrong.
MHM Toolkit 38
 Additional Notes:



Feel free to get creative and make up your own questions as well!
The more cards there are, the harder and longer the game will be.
The cards can be printed out, or can be copied onto paper.
Matching Card Examples
What is the age at which
puberty typically begins?
The age range is
usually 8 to 16
years.
What is body odor?
This is the result of
sweat mixing with
bacteria on a
person’s skin.
What is acne?
A common skin
condition for boys
and girls during
puberty.
What is pubic hair?
This grows in the
genital area during
puberty.
What are breasts?
These body parts
grow on a girl’s
chest during
puberty.
What are pads or
tampons?
These can be used
by girls to absorb
the flow of
menstrual blood.
What is the uterus
or womb?
The place where a
fetus (baby) grows
inside a female’s
body.
What is estrogen?
A female sex
hormone that
increases during
puberty.
MHM Toolkit 39
What are ways to stay
healthy during puberty?
Rest, exercise, and
good nutrition and
hygiene.
What are the
ovaries?
Where the eggs/ova
are stored in a
female’s body.
What two male and
female body parts should
be examined monthly?
The breasts and
testicles.
What is
menstruation or a
period?
When the lining of
the uterus is shed
each month.
What is the pituitary
gland?
The gland that
causes puberty to
begin.
What is vaginal
fluid or discharge?
This keeps the
vagina clean and
healthy.
What happens when the
female and male sex cells
(the sperm and the egg)
meet?
Pregnancy results if
these join during
sexual intercourse.
What are the
fallopian tubes?
The tubes that carry
the egg/ovum from
the ovary to the
uterus.
What is an erection?
This is when the
penis becomes
enlarged and hard.
What are the
testicles?
Where sperm are
produced.
What is
testosterone?
The hormone
responsible for most
of the changes in
boys during
puberty.
What is a wet dream or
nocturnal emission?
This is an
ejaculation during
sleep.
MHM Toolkit 40
What is semen?
The fluid produced
in the prostate
containing sperm.
What is one
teaspoon?
The amount of fluid
released when a
male ejaculates.
What is the larynx?
When this body part
What is the
grows, a boy’s voice
urethra?
gets deeper.
The tube that allows
for both urination
and ejaculation.
MHM Toolkit 41
7. SNAKES & LADDERS
 Topics

Menstrual hygiene management
 Time

covered:
of activity:
20 minutes
 Materials



needed:
Paper
Pens or markers
Dice
 Directions:
1. The objective of the game is to get to space number 30. Players start on number 1 and take turns rolling the dice to
see how many spaces they move. Players keep moving up unless they land on the head of a snake or bottom of a
ladder.
2. Lay the corresponding cards on the heads and tails of the snakes, and then the bottoms and tops of the ladders.
When a player lands on a head of a snake or the bottom of a ladder, they read the cards placed there. After sliding
up or down, they then read the cards on the tail of the snake or the top of a ladder.
3. If a player lands on the head of a snake, they will slide all the way down to the space where the tail of that snake
lies.
MHM Toolkit 42
4. If a player lands at the bottom of a ladder, they will move up to the space where the top of the ladder lies.
 Additional


Notes:
The ladders correspond to positive behaviors or events that you can do in life relating to menstrual hygiene
management or health in general. So when you do something positive, you get to move ahead.
The snakes correspond to negative behaviors that you can do in life relating to menstrual hygiene management or
health in general. So when you do something negative, you move backwards.
Game board
END. 20
19
18
17
16
11
12
13
14
15
10
9
8
7
6
START. 1
2
3
4
5
MHM Toolkit 43
MHM Toolkit 44
Game cards
Ladder
Bottom
Ladder
Top
Snake
Head
Snake Tail
Acquire
knowledge and
skills about
menstrual issues.
Able to manage
menstrual issues
confidently.
Have excessive
blood loss
during menses.
Become anemic.
Learn safe sex
practices.
Avoid unwanted
pregnancies and
STIs/STDs.
Don’t bathe or
change your
pads regularly.
Have bad body
odors and get a
vaginal infection.
Make reusable
pads to use
when you have
your menses.
Remain
confident to
attend all
lessons.
Remain
uninformed on
MHM issues.
Lack of correct
information and
formal training
about MHM.
Join a WASH
Club and talk
about MHM.
Empower
yourself and
others to live a
normal life with
your menses.
Have poor diet
and little
exercise.
Become
malnourished
and have bad
abdominal
cramps.
MHM Toolkit 45
MHM Toolkit 46